RATIONALE: Studying samples of blood in the laboratory from patients receiving chemotherapy may help doctors learn more about the effects of chemotherapy on cells. It may also help doctors understand how patients respond to treatment.

PURPOSE: This research study is studying biomarkers related to thrombosis in patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma receiving chemotherapy.

The PPP will be used for in vitro assays to measure TF activity, coagulation markers and markers of endothelial cell damage

Other: medical chart review

The patient's clinical course with respect to development of venous thromboembolism and response to treatment will be monitored for a total of 3 months from enrollment.

Detailed Description:

OBJECTIVES:

Primary

To measure levels of circulating tissue factor (TF) in patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma at several time points before, during, and after the administration of chemotherapy and/or antiangiogenic agents.

Secondary

To measure the correlation of TF with two markers of coagulation activation (i.e., D-dimer, thrombin-antithrombin [TAT] complexes) and two markers of endothelial activation (i.e., soluble E-selectin, soluble thrombomodulin) in these patients.

To measure and compare (descriptively) our microparticle-associated TF procoagulant activity assay with two other assays using samples from these patients.

Choosing to participate in a study is an important personal decision. Talk with your doctor and family members or friends about deciding to join a study.
To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the Contacts provided below.
For general information, see Learn About Clinical Studies.

Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01132833

Locations

United States, North Carolina

Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center at University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill